- Associate's degrees in human resources are offered online, but they are a little less common than other degrees. An associate's degree will only qualify the recipient for the most basic of human resource positions. An associate degree program will typically take about two years to complete, but programs like the one offered by Rasmussen College take about three. Rasmussen College requires 95 credit hours to graduate with the online associate's degree in human resources. For one additional year of study though, you could obtain a bachelor's degree, which is much more valuable in today's competitive job market.
- Some schools do offer the bachelor's degree in human resources online, but these are fairly rare also. As many schools transition to online education, part of the difficulty with bachelor's degrees is that they require so many general education credits that it is hard to offer all of the necessary classes online. Nevertheless, schools like Rasmussen College and Western Governors University offer bachelor's degrees in this field. Bachelor's degree programs in human resources are typically offered as a business degree with an emphasis in human resources. These can be much more marketable than a degree that focuses solely on human resources.
- A master's degree in the human resource field is likely to qualify you for more positions and greater compensation in the human resources field. Schools like Penn State University offer an online master's degree in professional studies with a human resources emphasis. Others offer more specialized opportunities in the human resources field. Capella University in Minnesota has several concentrations in this field. Students can pursue degrees in general human resources or areas like organizational development, management and leadership, human resource management or even leadership coaching psychology. Most master's degree programs will only take one to two years to complete and can qualify the recipient for a career in the business community, regardless of what degree they may have obtained as an undergraduate.
- Pursuing an online degree in human resources may prove to be a wise decision. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of new jobs for human resources management professionals is expected to increase by 197,400 from 2008 to 2018. This is a 22 percent increase in just a 10-year span. This rate of growth is more than double the expected average rate of growth for all other professions during this time.
- Advertisement -
- Advertisement -